Graduate Programs in American Studies

The Department of American Studies at Saint Louis University is committed to excellence and originality in research, teaching, and service. Faculty and graduate students work toward these goals by building strong mentoring relationships, by establishing dynamic and innovative classroom experiences, and by disseminating research through conferences, workshops, exhibits, and publications.

In addition, the department places a high value on creative work as a form of scholarly training and exchange. Finally, faculty in the department are committed to the thorough professional preparation of every graduate student.

We provide training for the Master of Arts and Doctoral degrees. Graduates from our department go on to a wide range of careers in academia, educational administration, museums, libraries, archives, civic organizations, religious orders and ministry, journalism, and public agencies.

Our graduate programs combine the rigors of training in theory and methods with the development of skills in critical analysis, writing, and research design. At the same time we provide flexibility in our curriculum for students to pursue their own focused interests, and to connect their work with scholarly communities and public institutions. Finally, we maintain a strong commitment to the sound, ethical, and broad professional development of every graduate student that comes through our department.

Graduate students enter the program with a variety of skills, research interests, backgrounds, and professional history. This diversity of backgrounds is a highly valued strength of the American Studies community at Saint Louis University, and it enriches the life of the department. At the same time, graduate students move together as a cohort through a rigorous curriculum designed to ground their efforts in a common experience. The department's introductory core sequence ensures that all subsequent courses, symposia, workshops, and internships revolve around a common frame of reference.